The Kenya Police Service has arrested fleeing Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, as the International Criminal Police Organisation moves to extradite him to Nigeria within the week to face charges leveled against him. Government sources, who are familiar with the case, confirmed the development on Sunday night. It was gathered that the arrest of the Binance executive was predicated upon the approval of an extradition request by INTERPOL, Nigeria, in conjunction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anjarwalla, who is the regional manager for Binance in Africa fled Nigeria after he escaped from lawful custody on March 22. He was detained alongside Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance Holdings Limited executive for allegedly offering their platforms for manipulation of the value of the naira, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Meanwhile, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had in the March edition of its bulletin titled, “EFCC Alert,” confirmed that the commission was working in conjunction with the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya to extradite Anjarwalla.
Olukoyed said, “The takeover of the prosecution of Binance chiefs by the commission is no less a strong message in the direction of EFCC’s resolve to hedge in distortions and disruptions in the country’s forex market.
“Tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000 and are at the foundation of the Commission’s five counts against Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the company’s chief executives.
“While Gambaryan is currently in the Commission’s net, the process of extraditing the fleeing Anjarwalla is revving in full swing. Involved in partnership with the EFCC to nick Anjarwalla in flight are the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya as the clock winds down to his arraignment in absentia alongside the company and Gambaryan.”
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in a statement, said Anjarwalla used his Kenyan passport to escape from Nigeria.
